[MLS SPOTLIGHT] MLS announced that total goals -- not goal differential -- will be used as the first tie-breaker if two teams are tied on points in the final
2012 regular-season standings.

Unlike previous seasons, head-to-head will not be used as a tie-breaker because teams do not play every opponent an equal number of times and some teams
play others an odd number of times, meaning one team had an advantage in terms of the number of home games it played.